I have just read an article about some cavalier breeders in Donegal setting up an online store on which they will also allow breeders of all breeds to list puppies for sale and people to list any dogs for sale.

Despite the site's insistence that they will 'personally check out' breeders and avoid puppy farmers by not allowing people to list more than one breed :sl*p:, this is virtually impossible to do unless they drive around the countryside interviewing people and verifying they are the true breeders and aren't brokers, have health clearances, breed quality dogs, etc. Also all the online ads sites in Ireland are full of puppies sold by breed by brokers and by backyard breeders -- how would they avoid this? As we also saw in the recent Wicklow puppy farm raid, many of these imbecile farmers breed a single breed -- in this case it was yorkies, kept in the worst conditions the SPCAs said they had ever seen on an Irish puppy farm.

Apparently the ISPCA is offering animal welfare information to these people which they already have up on the mock-up of their site.

I find this very disturbing. The ISPCA is a welfare organisation whch itself is supposed to advocate rescue and is stuffed FULL of dogs and cats at their centre in Roscommon and branches around the country, all needing homes. So why are they giving welfare validity to the sale of yet more animals by individuals and by breeders whose bona fides cannot be adequately checked? I donate to the ISPCA and as a supporter I wish to understand this decision by them.

I have written to their PR officer asking for an explanation.

More information when I hear a reply.

In general I would strongly advise a boycott of ANY vendor selling pet items while also providing paid-for small ads and breeder listings for animal sales.